Blue Burns Orange
by AvalonBay
Summary: Part of the Avalon series. A series of one-shots about the intelligent good boy/brave tough girl pairing of Billy and Avalon. These one-shots fall anywhere and everywhere within All To Blame, Made of Glass, These Walls, and New Beginning.
1. Fingertips

**Blue Burns Orange**

 **Summary** **–** Part of the Avalon series. A series of one-shots about the intelligent good boy/brave tough girl pairing of Billy and Avalon. These one-shots fall anywhere and everywhere within _All To Blame, Made of Glass, These Walls, and New Beginning_.

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 **1: Fingertips**

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There was always something to be sad about men being good with their hands. Whether it be constructing something, showing the want to help someone, giving a congratulatory high-five, or holding someone else's hand, men weren't always aware of how aesthetically pleasing their hands could be.

Billy was very aware of the fact. Not only because of his meticulous studies that included anatomy as well as his own personal readings in human behaviors as well as verbal and nonverbal communication, but because his caring and kind nature made it so that he was one to show his affection for others through physical touch.

He showed his worth and care for the other rangers in his means of creating, deconstructing, and constructing their zords and weapons over and over again. It was a puzzle for him, the sort of thing that made it so that he could understand what was just out of his reach. His interested in the zords and their alien heritage piqued during his first meeting of Alpha 5—the fully sentient, multifunctional automaton—and since then he found he wanted to know everything about them. When he wasn't donning the uniform of the Mighty Morphin' Blue Ranger he created their communicators, worked through the difficult puzzles of alien language, studied their zords to find the best means to increase power within them, and tear down and build up new arsenal and readers to maximize his knowledge even further. Everything he created he worked with his best friends in mind. Just because he wasn't a Zeo ranger didn't mean he wanted his friends to lose the battle against the forces of evil.

He showed his care for others that probably didn't deserve it with a helping hand. Despite not being as athletic as Jason and Zack he was the first one to show sportsmanship for both teams. PE was his absolutely least favorite class when growing up and he tried to stick to the sidelines as much as possible. When forced onto the basketball court or soccer field he still tried to keep to himself despite his growing need to be involved. When a play got particularly rough on field and someone fell, he was the first to jog over and offer a hand to the one that had fallen even when it was Bulk or Skull, those who had tormented him as long as he could remember. At first the bullies would regard him with surprise or barely concealed disgust, knocking his hand away. But he continued to do it with an innocent look in his bright blue eyes, finally getting their begrudging respect if only for that 45 minutes of exercise.

He pushed aside his own feelings of sadness aside to comfort others with a hug or rubbing their shoulders. When Kimberly was in the hospital after having fallen victim of her complications of her eating disorder he had one of her hands while Tommy had the other. He continued to rub his thumb across the back of her hand, giving her his silent support. When Jason, Zack, and Trini left the team he hugged each of them tightly, rubbing their backs as he whispered his goodbyes to show his pride in their decisions to leave, sending them forward. When Kimberly left to get treatment as well as practice for the Pan Global Games he squeezed her tightly, hoping his grasp let her know he'd always be there for her when she needed it. When Aisha left the team he patted her back in a 'job well done' for her short time with the team and her ultimate refusal of the Zeo Ranger powers; it was a tough decision to make but he knew she made the right one for everyone.

He held Trini's hand when she stood up to her parents for dating him. They wanted her to date a Vietnamese man, to marry that man they chose for her, and not the blond haired, blue eyed American boy that didn't understand her. Billy was initially disappointed by the news, but with his vast knowledge of different cultures knew it was her means of speaking to her parents and would support her decision to keep their relationship quiet or to announce it. And he stood by her side, holding tightly onto her hand, showing her he was there for her no matter what.

It was his fingertips that mattered the most; that did the most healing. Avalon his girlfriend of almost a year and the current Orange Zeo Ranger was cured up in a ball on the couch, her head resting in his lap. He never knew how much his life would change since meeting the Australian girl that flipped the rangers upside down. During their feet meeting she was part of the Angel Grove street gang, the Vipers, after becoming misguided through life while solely taking care of her little sister, Bailey. She had joined the Mighty Morphin' team as the Orange ranger wielding the power of the Stegosaurus while still being part of the Vipers. And through the time she worked her way through understanding her ranger destiny and knowing what it was like to have true friends, Billy watched as she opened herself up to the rangers more and more, finding himself helping her and her helping him in many ways he didn't quite understand. They were polar opposites but ended up growing to be close friends very quickly. She was even the one that helped him get through his fear of asking Trini out the first time.

Throughout their ranger duties something changed between them and they ended up in a relationship. No matter how many times she proved she could hold her own and take care of herself—getting shot in the shoulder by one of her former gang members attested to that—he still felt the need to want to protect her. This time as she finally lured the last remaining Viper members into a trap to be arrested at the local pool hall, Avalon found herself completely drained of emotion. She was finally out of the gang and it took even more of a toll on her than she thought. The strong girl that came up to her five foot height with even more confidence than he had ever seen had broken.

Billy sat quietly with Avalon's head in his lap, gently brushing her hair back from her face. He traced his fingertips down the side of her face, gently caressing her cheek as he did so, relishing in the warmth that radiated from her. She sniffled quietly every now and then and he brushed away the tears that threatened to come. Leaning forward, he placed a gentle kiss to her temple, continuing to run his fingertips over her cheek, his free hand running the fingertips of his other hand up and down her arm. As the seconds passed he could feel her relax more and more with his touch until she brought up her hand and curled her fingertips around his, holding on tightly.

It was then he made the silent promise to her. Even if he wasn't able to morph anymore, even if he was delegated to working in the Power Chamber, he was always going to be there to help her; to be there for her, to love her through anything she needed. It wouldn't be too hard with the many way their lives consistently intersected.

In the end they were always fingertips away.

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 **A/N:** So that's the first one. What did you guys think? It's the first of about thirty or so. The one-shots jump through different timeframes where some of them will be when they're a couple, others just before then, others around the time they first met, others when they're just friends. Other canon characters/pairings will make appearances within this as well.

I'm also planning on doing series of one-shots that are deleted scenes from the Avalon series as well as episodes from the show I thought of doing within it, but never did. That was actually suggested to me by **XoxMountainGirlxoX**. So, I'm still working on that.

Let me know what you guys think!

 **~Avalon**


	2. Acceptance

**2: Acceptance**

 **A/N:** This is set between chapters 24 and 25 of _All To Blame._

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Avalon stood in the doorway to her room. Well, it was a room she was sharing with Bailey, but it was ten times better than the room she had back in their apartment. The apartment she paid for with the money she managed to get from pawning different items of value from the houses she broke into with Chase and the rest of the Vipers. Her gaze dropped down to the 'V' tattooed on the inside of her wrist, one of the initiations she had to go through to test her loyalty to the gang. A binding contract. A contract she had recently broken.

She paused, waiting for that wave of guilt to wash over her once more. But it was gone now. She smiled. Now that she finally told the rest of the rangers what she was hiding from them, now that she was finally able to tell Kimberly about breaking into her house and Jason that she was the reason he had been beaten up, she didn't feel guilt anymore. Everything for her was getting a clean slate. She could start over.

Avalon slowly walked into the room, her _new_ room, and went to the window, looking out it. It looked over the backyard filled with the most beautiful garden she had ever seen taking up the back corner. The rest of the fencing was lined with rose bushes, the grass kept immaculately trimmed. The only backyard she and Bailey had was the communal back patio to their apartment building were people went to smoke. Every now and then Avalon would open the window in her room as far as it could go and sit on the ledge, watching as Angel Grove hustled and bustled below her, wafting the scent of burning cigarettes out of her face.

The city looked different to her now.

Brighter.

Cleaner.

Welcoming.

"I see you're getting a good look at Mom's garden," Billy said from behind her. The Orange ranger turned to face him, her eyebrows rising and he came to her side at the window, depositing a box of school supplies on a desk as he passed it. "She's been working on it for years, they're prize winning. Oxalis pes-caprae, Anthericum liliago, and Asteraceae pseudanthium ." Avalon nodded, pretending to know what he was talking about. "It's too bad you're allergic."

"What?" Startled, Avalon turned to face him, having to lift her chin so that she could meet his eyes. Normally she hated the constant reminders of how short she was, standing well below average at exactly five feet, but this time it didn't bother her so much. "What'd you say?"

"I said, it's too bad you're allergic," Billy repeated. He nodded back towards the garden. "You won't be able to enjoy it."

"How did you know…?"

"You mentioned it to Kimberly and Trini," Billy replied. "The day you missed school and we got your homework assignments…when you, Zack, and I were selected to contribute our individual talents on our assignment of assemblage."

 _Our what?_ Avalon tilted her head to the side as she thought about it. _Oh! The group project._ "I reckon I did say that, mate," she said slowly, still quite unsure if she had. It must have been something she muttered while distracted. "It doesn't surprise me they've won awards. They're beauty." Shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans she sat down on her bed and looked around the room.

It was still so hard to believe things were going to get better from there on out. Something glinting caught her eye and she looked down at her Stegosaurus Power Coin as it sat nestled in her morpher, hooked to the front of her jeans. A small smile tugged at her lips.

"I know things are going to be hard for you, to adjust and everything I mean," Billy said. He hesitated for a moment before sitting on the bed next to her, dropping his hands into his lap. "But we're all here to help you when you need it. You already made the first step, admitting that you were having issues with the gang."

"I guess I just…" Avalon shrugged. "Don't feel like I deserve it," she admitted. She frowned, realizing how vulnerable she was being. It was the first time in a long time she was able to completely open herself to someone without feeling pressured. Avalon raised her gaze and met the baby blues of the blue ranger as he patiently listened to what she had to say. "Like I deserve you. Or the others. Or any friends at all."

"You deserve to be happy, Av," Billy reassured her. He reached out and placed his hand atop hers. "Everyone does. Yes, you've made some bad choices and have tampered with the ideology behind what it truly means to be a ranger, but you've shown that you have a good heart and you did everything for your sister. A selfless act. There wasn't any other choice to make. We have room for both of you, we couldn't let you continue living where you were. Not when Chase and the others could find you. We don't expect you to act like you need to earn your keep to stay here. It's the least we could do."

"The _least_ you could do, mate, was have us stay at the Command Center," Avalon pointed out.

"I suppose that's true," Billy agreed. He smiled. "It sure would make keeping an eye on Rita, Zedd, and their monsters that much easier. But we're glad to have you guys here."

"Me too," Avalon said honestly.

Billy smiled and removed his hand from hers as he stood up from the bed. "Do you need help getting the rest of your stuff?"

"No, I'll get it in a minute," Avalon said. "Thanks, Smurf."

He chuckled at her insistence of using the unique nickname and left the room. Avalon brought her legs up to sit Indian style and sighed. Her eyes scanned the empty room that was slowly being filled with hers and Bailey's things. They would figure out who would get which bed, who would get which desk, and how they would decorate the walls. They couldn't do that at their old apartment in case someone would figure out where they were living and that would endanger them even further.

She was getting a new start. Just as she had always strived for but didn't know how to make happen.

Finally.


	3. Hurt

**3: Hurt**

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Avalon tilted her head to the side as she watched Billy stand at the counter, waiting for his coffee to brew. She could tell him as many times as she wanted that coffee wasn't breakfast, he was thin enough, and he had to actually eat something, but it was no use. Whenever he was on one of his scientific benders—which happened more than he would admit—his diet was comprised of nothing but short bursts of sleep and massive amounts of coffee, the bags under his eyes giving away the work he was doing.

The work was always important though; something new created for the rangers' arsenal collection, upgrades on their work to make sure the power capacity could be raised, putting in long hours to put in as many adjustments to the Zords as possible. And as he had started to speak about recently, he was training himself—with Alpha's and Zordon's help—to decipher alien language in case the rangers were contacted by someone else. He was pushing himself as hard as she could and he knew it was because he hurt.

He was hurting in the way the other rangers had never had to deal with and hoped they would never see again. She could practically see the black hole he sank further and further into day by day. She wanted to reach out and grab onto him, to let him know she was there for whatever he needed. She had told him that, over and over again but she continued to watch him shut down with a simple 'I'm fine' or 'I'm over it'. She knew he wasn't over it. She could see it in his blue-green eyes, the way he would momentarily pause at pictures of his mother, how he would stare into space, and how he would fake a smile. Over time his smiles became more and more genuine but the hurt would never leave him.

Avalon was starting to think it was impossible to bring him back, to make him the same Billy he had been before. It was a silly though, she reminded herself. She hadn't been like her own true self since she had moved to Angel Grove. When she was younger, she was herself; she was happy, she knew everything was going to be okay, she had a home life she loved. Then it was ripped away by secrets and lies. But he and the rest of the rangers pulled her out of her perpetual anger and aggression and helped her get a new sense of what normal was. It hurt that he wouldn't let her do the same for him.

But that was the point of some relationships sometimes; give and take wasn't always 50-50 and she realized that quickly. She truly wanted to help him, wanted to show him how much she cared, how much she loved him… _did_ she love him? She hadn't put much thought into it before. Avalon truly did feel a lot of feelings for Billy, much more than she originally anticipated and when she thought about it for too long she scared herself. Maybe she did love him. The question was did he love her, too.

That was another part that hurt, knowing she could give all of herself to him and he wouldn't be able to do the same for her. Trini was always going to have a part of his heart ant hat scared her even further. What if Trini could help him in more ways than Avalon could? What if when he finally opened himself up to someone about he was truly feeling it wasn't to her but to Trini? Then what was the point of being together? She didn't want to break up but she never allowed herself to be anyone's second choice.

Avalon wanted nothing more for them to be better, but to put aside her own feelings to do so hurt more than she thought; like a knife in the chest. It was the most painful kind of hurt she had ever experienced emotionally. Getting into her head so much, the same way Billy did. Maybe that was what they brought each other together; they were both lone wolfs in that kind of way, not wanting others to worry too much about what was going on in their personal lives. It was no wonder they gravitated towards each other. But they still lied about it and because of that they hurt each other.

It was a blessing and a curse.

Such a nasty feeling.

Every now and then she hurt too much to deal with her own problems. The problems she was always running from. It was easier to pretend it wasn't happening and pretended things were okay; thankful no one asked. She ran and hid; his from the truth, ran from the questions when they came up. Kat and Tanya were the only ones that didn't know about her past and she still hoped not to tell, just so she could keep running. She was tired of running but still did it. She understood why Billy did too. Maybe that's what was lessening the pain little by little; that they both understood.

With a sigh, Avalon crossed her arms over her chest, turning her lips up into a smirk as the coffee finished and Billy poured it into a mug. "You need to eat something," she said.

"I have a protein bar in my lab," Billy said. He lifted the coffee to his lips and took a sip, looking down at Avalon as she placed her hands on her hips. "Fine." He reached over and picked p a piece of toast from her plate and took a bite.

With a smile, Avalon stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Billy's waist, leaning into his side, gently rubbing his back. Billy smiled back and held out the piece of toast to her, allowing her to move forward and take a bite herself. She wiped the crumbs off her lips with her thumb. "What are you up to today?"

"I'm running diagnostics on the Zords and determined by the results of those tests I will then facilitate the capacities the hydraulics will be able to handle while under certain pressures of battle," Billy explained before clarifying with, "Tests, tests, and more tests."

"Fancy an assistant?" Avalon asked.

"I'd love one," Billy replied.

And as Avalon looked into his eyes she could see some of the pain and hurt that continued to reside there. But it wasn't as evident this time around. Maybe she was helping his hurt after all.


	4. Game

**4: Game**

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 **A/N:** This is set during the Zeo portion of _These Walls._

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Sitting on the front porch of the Cranston house, Billy and Avalon were enraptured by a game of chess.

The Saturday sky was settling into magnificent waves of reds, purples, and oranges as the sun set. A light breeze blew by, rustling their hair, threatening to knock over the pieces on the board but Billy and Avalon kept their eyes on the game when they weren't sneaking glances at each other. Well Avalon was sneaking glances, Billy continued to get caught.

His cheeks would turn a light pink but his smile would widen a bit more before his blue eyes would drop to the chess board. That's what kept Avalon playing despite not being very good at chess the blueness of the sky that exactly matched the shade of his.

Every now and then Billy's smiles would fade into frowns of concentration as he whispered to himself, jostling the chess pieces around to figure out his next move. Then he would make the move and smile that warm smile once more coming to his face when he would rest his chin in his hands and watch, waiting for Avalon's next move.

That annoyed Avalon a little as much as she warmed underneath his gaze. She didn't know much of the rules and had to stop to ask him question on what certain pieces could and couldn't do and he'd explain it patiently. After making her move, Avalon sat back in her seat, bringing her right foot up onto the seat of her chair, resting her chin on her knee as she smiled back at him. She met his eyes, framed by his light eyelashes, and her heart fluttered.

Even in a simple black tank top and white shorts he was very handsome. The communicator around his wrist glinted in the light and for a moment Avalon saw his gaze flicker to it, darkening slightly. It hadn't been long since he stepped down from being a ranger to be a technical advisor and she knew it was still hard for him to come to terms with. At least he was smiling a little bit more. Avalon made sure of it.

Then his eyes flickered back to her and they brightened with challenge, lips pulling back into a smirk. Avalon returns the look and sits up even further not allowing herself to exude the smell of defeat. Finally, Avalon moved her game piece then took her turn waiting for Billy to make his move. Out of habit she glanced at her own communicator; almost daring it to ring to let her know of an attack from the Machine Empire. Then she shook her head and rolled her eyes at herself. Why waste a perfectly good day of relaxation having to run off and stop and incompetent monster?

One minute passed, and then another. Avalon started to drum her fingers on the arm of her chair, impatiently. That was another reason she hated playing chess; you were supposed to take some time before you made your move. But that made the game go on much longer. She loved being able to spend uninterrupted time with Billy but sometimes he took _way_ too long to move a simple piece. Then she looked down at the table and frowned, resting her chin in her hand. She had no idea what made a good move or not; praying for the best she picked up a Knight and moved it to an empty spot on the board. She risked a glance up at her boyfriend and frowned when she saw his eyes dancing merrily.

The eyes so blue and speckled with a shining light that made her fall right into his gaze, climbing back out as he said, "That wasn't a smart move."

Avalon made an annoyed sound and twisted her mouth to the side. Then she pouted a little. "You bloody take that back when I win, Smurf," She said her Australian accented drawl deepening. She briefly wondered how bad if a move it really could be if he mentioned it.

"It'll be hard to do that when I fully intend on winning, Ava," Billy shot back.

Eyes narrowing, Avalon looked at him, shaking her head. She smiled when he turned his attention back to the board. Avalon used that moment to stand up and move her chair closer to the table. Close enough so that her feet touched his under the table. Close enough so that if she reached out her hand far enough it would rest on his knee. As the game continued his hand moved closer to hers and her feet gently rested atop his, moving her bare toes over his socked feet.

Then Avalon noticed he was incredibly close to winning the game, she was losing badly, and her competitive nature was killing her as she could do no more than pout in displeasure. "Oh come on, Smurf," She protested. "I'm terrible at this game; you think you'd go a little easy on me, yeah?"

Billy chuckled, lifting his gaze from the board. His blond lashes fluttered. "What do you think my letting you win would accomplish?"

"Keeping me happy?" Avalon guessed.

"Not likely. You'd probably just get mad at the fact that I let you win rather than you winning on your own merit. I'm just trying to limit the fallout of your potential aggression that I'll, unfortunately, be on the receiving end of," he explained. With that he flashed a wink at her and Avalon's pout melted into a smile despite how hard she tried not to let him know how adorable she thought he was.

He moved and Avalon moved.

It was a risky move, really. She had no idea what she was doing.

But it worked.

Billy blinked twice then frowned, sitting up straight as he realized that he had lost. His frown deepened, eyes darting over the board and Avalon cheered, throwing her hands into the air. "Checkmate!" She cried.

Finally, Billy shook his head as he laughed, eyes shining merrily. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Avalon's. Avalon leaned into the kiss, gently resting her hand on his knee as he brought his up to her hair.

He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. "Checkmate," Billy agreed.

* * *

 **A/N:** It's been a while since I've updated this but I've been getting some ideas as of late and figured an update was needed. I do have a question though; do you prefer to have me mention what story a one-shot is set in an author's note or do you prefer to figure it out on your own? Let me know.

I hope you enjoyed it.

 **~Avalon**


	5. Crying

**5: Crying**

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 **A/N:** This is set during _Made of Glass_. And it's also a suggestion I got from **xoXMountainGirlXox.** Thanks again!

* * *

Billy came in from his garage lab, wiping grease and oil off his fingertips. Using his foot, he kicked the door to the garage shut and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. He just turned off the water and dried off his hands when he heard a strange sound coming from the living room.

Frowning, Billy walked to the living room and looked over to find Avalon curled up on the couch, a blanket kicked to her feet and her arms tightly hugging herself. Her eyes were shut so tightly that Billy could see the veins running through her eyelids, a tear formed at the corner of her eye. Her head flicked back and forth every few seconds.

Billy leaned forward to shake her awake, but leaned back as a fist nearly collided with his nose. He looked away from Avalon's fist just as her eyes flew open. For a moment they were wide with panic and he could feel her hand shaking as she came to her surroundings. Her eyes landed on Billy and she pulled her hand back.

"Sorry," Avalon mumbled, bringing her hand away from him. She rubbed her hands over her face as she sat up. She took in a deep breath and pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes, using the movement to flick tears away from her eyes. "Good thing you weren't standing a few feet closer, yeah?" A low, hollow chuckle escaped her lips.

"Are you okay?" Billy asked. He grabbed an ottoman from the chair nearby and pulled it forward so that he could sit on it. "You said you wanted to help me out in the lab and the next thing I know you disappear."

"Yeah, I, uh…I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately," Avalon muttered.

"Nightmares?" Billy guessed.

"How'd you know?" She then rolled her eyes. With a light shake of her head, Avalon said, "What am I talking about? You're a big time brain; of course you'd figure it out."

Billy shrugged. He smiled a little. "Well, not just that…you have dark circles under your eyes, you slept restlessly…it's good to know that your reflexes are still top-shape. The only question is what you were fighting as I don't think there's anything here that's a threat to you."

Avalon looked him in the eye then rested her chin in her hand, turning away. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a long breath.

"You don't have to tell me," Billy said quickly, sensing her discomfort.

"No, I want to. It's something I probably should've said a while ago," Avalon said. She reached up and ran a hand through her hair. "There's a _lot_ that I should've told you guys a while ago and I reckon I just needed some time to work through things." She winkled her nose. "I'm just trying to remember what I've already told you."

Avalon was silent for a long moment then patted the couch cushion next to her. She turned sideways and sat cross-legged as Billy stood up and dropped into the seat next to her, leaning her way. She was silent for another long moment then lifted her chin, looking him in the eye. "I guess you already know that I used to date Chase." Billy nodded. "But I never told you how I was actually _treated_ when I was with him and with the others." She licked her lips. "I'm sure with your studies that you have an idea."

Billy twisted his mouth to the side then shook his head. "I'm well versed in the science and mathematics and other areas of academics. But people…that's not my strong-suit. There's no formula to people, no right or wrong answer so…it's hard…"

"Then this may be hard for you to hear," Avalon said. She reached down and started to trace her fingers over the 'V' tattooed on the inside of her left wrist. "When you get into a gang there are numerous ways to can be accepted. Or initiated as others say, like the urban legends of flashing the headlights to run down the car later. Some of the ways to get in are to be 'blooded' in, by drawing blood from another person, being 'jumped in' where you have to survive an attack by the rest of the gang for however long they decide to beat you, sometimes you have to carry out a hit…"

"But 'hit' you mean…?" Billy trailed off, his mind moving in a million directions.

"Murder," Avalon explained. "There are some members of the Vipers, senior members, Chase's father, brother, and uncle being some of them, who all did that for their initiation. And chances are, if they were still around, they'd do the same to those who were trying to get in now." She cleared her throat. "And for the girls there's also one other option…one option that Summer took when she was trying to get into the Vipers." She lifted her eyebrows meaningfully, it taking Billy only a few seconds to understand what she meant.

Billy looked at her for a second hen looked away. He rubbed his hands together and opened and closed his mouth. Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Avalon could tell what Billy wanted to ask but wasn't sure how to.

"I was jumped in," She explained, allowing him to relax. "See this?" She pointed to the scar on her cheek and he nodded. "I got that from when I was jumped in. Skye hit me in the face with a knife. I had a black eye, a broken eye socket, a broken nose, a broken rib, sprained wrists, a sprained ankle, and a concussion when it all ended. Everything else healed fine except for that. Right after I was supposed to go in and get the tattoo to prove I was part of the but I kept putting it off." She started to crack her knuckles. "And as you know, I got jumped out when I was leaving."

"You could've been killed," Billy said. He phrased it as a statement rather than a question. Avalon could see horror slowly growing in his eyes as the seriousness of the conversation started to dawn on him. "Without going to the hospital…"

"I couldn't go to the hospital," Avalon interrupted.

"Why?"

She could feel frustration starting to get to her. "I didn't have health insurance, I probably would've been taken away from Bailey and she would've been left alone, I would've gone to jail for all of the other things I've done by then…" She reached up and scratched at her forehead, covering the fact that she was about to start crying again.

Billy pressed his lips together. Not for the first time in his life, he didn't know what to say. Rationally, he knew that going to the hospital would've made the most sense, telling someone what was going on the moment she and Bailey had been left on her own would've been smart. But, like he said, he wasn't very well-versed on people; and knew it had to have been hard decisions that she made. Especially if she continued to allow herself to feel insurmountable pain to make sure Bailey was safe and had everything she needed.

"Why'd you stay so long?" he finally asked.

Avalon's eyebrows came together as if she had never been asked the question before. Or as if she hadn't really stopped and thought about it. "Fear," she finally said. "When it all boils down to it, I reckon I was just a boofhead who was afraid. Don't get me wrong, Chase was great at first. He acted like he really did care about me; protected me from the other gang members, gave me a place to stay, said all the right things…and I thought I was in love with him. So I stayed for that. On the other hand, I stayed because they threatened Bailey, said if I left then they would go straight to kill her and make me watch, then kill me.

"I never doubted that they wouldn't. After everything I've seen them do…after other things I've done…"

Avalon rubbed her hands over her face again, this time not able to keep the tears away. Billy was surprised to see her openly crying; she always held herself so strongly, in and out of battle. And despite the compassion she showed towards Bailey and the rest of their friends, she was also very quick to turn around and take on anyone who would treat them badly, all without batting an eye.

So allowing herself to be vulnerable like this was hard to see.

The orange ranger's voice cracked as she continued to speak. "I put you guys in danger, I've hurt people…I've beat people up, I've stolen, I've held them for ransom to extort money, lied, cheated, robbed…I think I might've even killed someone. I don't know. I was never able to follow up. And all of that has haunted me for as long as I've been with the Vipers. I tried to talk to Chase but he changed. He turned around and became a monster that I couldn't recognize and he…he started to beat me. No matter what I did or said he would punch me in the face, knock me to the ground, kick me in the stomach, rip my hair out…and I continued to stay with him."

"It's common for abuse victims to stay with their abusers because they feel the love their getting is what they deserve—"

"—I didn't stay for me, I stayed for Bay. I couldn't imagine anything happening to her because of me, even though I already did just by getting into the gang in the first place."

"All of that's done now."

"No, it's not!" Avalon closed her eyes, large tears rolling down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them away but they kept coming, one right after the other. "It's never done. It's not going to be done because I can't do anything to change it! I didn't want to be a ranger at first but now…every day we go out there I'm trying to make up for all of the pain and hurt I caused. But I can't! And I'm never going to because all of this is a constant reminder that I'm a terrible person!"

"You're not a terrible person, Av," Billy reassured her.

Avalon took a deep breath. "Then why do I always feel like it?"

She brought her hands up and covered her face, shoulders shaking as she started to sob. Billy reached out his hand and gently rubbed her back before pulling her over until she stretched out on his lap.

And still she cried for the people she hurt and put in danger and couldn't make amends with.

No matter how hard she tried.


	6. Lips-Smile

**6: Lips/Smile**

 **A/N:** This one is set during chapter 10 of _These Walls_.

* * *

It had started long before Billy started to notice. But when he _did_ he couldn't do anything but look for it time and time again.

Her smile.

The first time he had seen her actual, genuine smile it had been a moment.

Avalon had been very guarded when she first met the rangers, to the point that she continuously pushed away each and every effort of the other rangers to be friendly. Maybe there was something within them that knew there was something special about her, maybe on a subconscious level they knew she would be part of their team. They didn't give up and soon her walls slowly started to lower. Then he saw her smile for the first time, finding that they truly had become her friends and she was happy to see them.

Sure, anyone could smile, what was the big deal about that? When Billy saw Avalon smile he couldn't help but notice how her whole demeanor would change. Her eyes would sparkle, the apples of her cheeks would round out, and it radiated a sense of belonging.

Of course it was when he really started to notice it, when he saw that she would smile a different way for him, when he saw that she would reserve a teasing smile towards him; her soft lips pulling back into a mixture of a smirk and a smile he knew he was a goner.

…

..

.

Avalon had noticed Billy's smile when she first met him.

He was one of the most friendly people she had ever met, but not in a way that as annoying to her as the others. Now that she was their friends, she could outwardly admit their initial want to make her feel welcome at Angel Grove made her feel a strong sense of irritation. Not because of their efforts, but knowing it wouldn't last because of what she was doing when she wasn't at school.

But Billy was different. He had a quiet sense of friendliness that had managed to penetrate the thickest of her walls. Maybe because he was so honest about everything and she didn't feel he was doing it because he had to. Or maybe it was because he reassured her with that calm, gentle smile as he would take DNA samples from her to get to the bottom of their powers, of which he didn't give the others.

It was the same smile he would greet her with when she got to school, the same smile that she slowly found herself falling in love with and she knew she was in trouble.

…

..

.

They quietly walked home together after the carnival, after the party Angel Grove was throwing in celebration of saving the conservatory. A party of which that quickly turned into a 'Thank you, Power Rangers' party once they saved the inhabitants from Ivan Ooze.

The sounds of the party gave way to the sounds of their footsteps crunching over the sidewalk. And as they went they were thinking of the same thing, the kiss they shared as the fireworks blew. It had been spontaneous, but a long time coming.

Avalon couldn't help but smile as she replayed the feeling of his lips on hers hesitant at first but slowly turning more confident as the seconds passed. She hadn't realized she'd been waiting so long for it until it happened.

Billy walked a few paces ahead of her, his head low as he thought about it too, feeling her lips gently glide over his. Then he stopped walking and turned back to her. Avalon looked at him, questioning in her eyes as he drew her closer and cupped her face in his hands. Avalon's lips stretched out into a smile, making Billy have the same thought he always had when she did—that he was a goner—and their lips met.

Billy felt Avalon's body relax with her sigh as she pressed her hands to his lower back, keeping him still as he moved his hands to get neck, keeping her still. His fingers gently brushed over her neck and Billy tilted his head, motioning his mouth open with his, increasing the passion of the kiss.

Then the kiss ended and their lips broke apart before splitting into identical smiles.

* * *

 **A/N:** So? What'd you think?


	7. Irritable

**7: Irritable**

* * *

 **A/N:** This is set pre-Avalon series, all the way back in season one of MMPR before Avalon met the rangers.

* * *

The main thing Avalon Mitchell hated about Angel Grove, the one thing that drew her up the wall, the one thing that made her fucking detest it, was that everyone seemed so happy when she was suffering silently.

 _Everything_ about Angel Grove was happy.

The residents smiled at each other, they stopped and chatted, the storefronts were bright. Hell, it seemed like it never rained so the sun was constantly shining, matching the enthusiasm of the Angel Grove citizens.

Honestly, Avalon wanted to punch each one of them in the face when they turned that smile her way. All because they were happy and she wasn't. How _could_ she be happy when she knew the truth? Neither of her parents wanted her or her sister. They shipped them out to Angel Grove to get rid of them. And now they were suffering. No food and no money meant they were in trouble. Avalon could deal with trouble, but only when she could see it coming.

Being taken to the airport with a plane ticket shoved into hers and her sister's hand saying they'd be living with their aunt was one thing. But finding out that the aunt was nowhere to be found was another.

How long ago was that now?

 _Long enough to know we're fucking stuck,_ Avalon thought. She lay stretched across the box spring mattress that sat on the dusty floor of her room. It couldn't even be called a room; more like a tiny office space. She gave Bailey the bigger bedroom; with the large bay window that overlooked the sprawling cityscape of Angel Grove. Bailey deserved to have _something_ nice to look at. Usually, she was just as cheerful as the citizens of Angel Grove.

Usually.

When Bailey walked into Avalon's room, her ever present smile was gone with an almost embarrassed one. She shuffled her feet before saying, "Av, I'm hungry."

The words made Avalon close her eyes. She didn't know what to say. She was hungry, too. Starving even. But what did you say to your little sister when you had no money for food? Well, some money after paying for rent. Not enough to keep them afloat for the week. Not enough for even the next few days. But she couldn't have her sister starve like that. No way. Her parents may be shitty, but she wasn't.

Instead, Avalon mustered a brave face as she stood up. She dusted off the streaks of dust on her jeans. There was so much dust in every corner of their apartment. It was nothing short of a dump but at least they had a place to live. Continuing her brave front, Avalon placed her hand on Bailey's shoulder and said, "Let's go have a gander at the fridge, yeah?" Avalon steered Bailey to the kitchen—which was only a handful of long strides, and left her at the counter as she opened the door.

Immediately, Avalon moved to block her sister from the view of the completely empty fridge. _Not even a fucking box of baking soda that always seemed to be inside on TV shows and movies_ , Avalon thought. _American media lied to me._ She closed the door and sucked in a deep breath through her nose. In her mind's eye, she could see the cabinets and pantry were empty, too.

Fuck.

They were in trouble.

Crossing her arms, Avalon's head slumped forward, chin resting on her chest. Her long, thick hair covered her freckled face like a curtain. It tickled her cheeks and neck, the small motions remind her that this was, in fact, not a dream. It was real life.

"Av?"

Bailey's small voice caught her attention.

Avalon lifted her head and shifted her dark brown eyes to her sister's kinder, amber eyes. She was glad the severity of their situation hadn't hit her yet. Avalon was always good at keeping her calm about that sort of thing. How she managed to do it continued to surprise her.

"Let's go out to eat, yeah?" Avalon suggested. "We've been cooped up in here all day."

Her distraction tactic worked and Bailey's eyes immediately lit up. "Can we go to Maccas?"

"There's one on every corner here, Bay. I reckon, it'd be hard not to find one, yeah?" That was something American media hadn't lied to the Australians about; the golden arches were _everywhere_. "Go put your shoes on." Avalon watched as Bailey hurried back to her room to grab her shoes and wallet then turned her attention to the inside of her left wrist where a large, black 'V' has been tattooed.

She needed to meet up with them soon.

Avalon dropped her hand behind her back when Bailey came back by her side and the two left the apartment complex. As they walked down the street, into the city of Angel Grove, the landscape changed. The cracked and weather torn buildings turned into brightly colored houses and storefronts. It made Avalon's mood sour even further.

They then worked their way through the park at Bailey's insistence, wanting to take a shortcut. Avalon tried to protest but Bailey went behind her and placed her hands on her sister's butt, pushing her forward. She had no choice. Bailey could be forceful when she wanted to be. Either that or Avalon spoiled her too much.

Nevertheless, as they went through the park, it didn't take long for Avalon to see what she was trying to avoid. It was silly, really. They were teenagers just as she was. But they were happy. That was the difference. Nearly every day she saw the five teenagers hanging out at the park—the African-American boy who was almost always dancing, the Asian girl who moved in slow, graceful motions, the Caucasian boy who stood nervously aside, adjusting his glasses every now and then, the Caucasian girl who did splits, cartwheels, and flips as if she couldn't hold still, and the Caucasian boy who did high kicks and hard punches of some sort of martial arts. That's what they were doing the first time she saw them.

Since then they would be playing some sort of a sport; football, soccer, basketball, baseball—geez, were they bloody good at everything? This time it appeared they were having some sort of a picnic. Food was spread around on the rainbow-colored picnic blanket they perched upon and they laughed and joked around with each other.

Then the Caucasian boy, the one dressed in blue overalls—or was it a onesie—looked her way, fumbling with his glasses. She did that a lot, he realized. And it irritated her. Irritated her that she noticed it, irritated her to point out that maybe, just maybe, she'd been going to the park too much. Irritated her that maybe, just maybe, she was hovering around them a little bit too much, maybe subconsciously wanting to join with them.

Or maybe it was the _way_ he was looking at her; blue eyes (which she could even see from her distance) clear with curiosity as he settled on something and someone he'd never come across before. How he didn't appear intimidated when she scowled, realizing he'd seen her looking at him like everyone else did.

Maybe.

"Av?"

It was funny how easily Bailey could make her name could hold so many different emotions. This time it held understanding, the same could be seen in Bailey's eyes when Avalon turned to look at her, noticing she had stopped walking. When had she stopped walking?

"It's nothing," Avalon said quietly. She finally started walking once more. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About how I plan on getting the biggest cheeseburger they can make, boofhead." Avalon reached out and ruffled Bailey's hair, then laughed, pulling her sister into her side. "And the biggest box of fries. And you can get anything you want."

" _Anything_ I want?"

"Anything."

"I want cake."

"They don't have cake there, Bay. Just pie."

"Too bad." Bailey crossed her arms defiantly. "I want cake."

"Goober," Avalon teased.

"Booger," Bailey shot back.

Avalon laughed again. Anything that would take her mind off how miserable she really was. How she wished she had friends like that; that she could hang out with and laugh with. But that was okay. She had friends of her own and they got her back.

And more importantly, who helped her get money.


	8. Blush

**8: Blush**

* * *

 **A/N:** This is a deleted scene from Made Of Glass.

* * *

It started with a blush.

Billy had just finished a test with enough confidence that he hadn't needed to look over his answers. He stood up, the screeching of his chair drawing the ire of his classmates around him. Skull let out a long snore, draped over his desk, while Bulk crumpled his own test and threw it at Billy's head. It bounced off and dropped harmlessly to the floor. Billy ignored it, used to the taunts.

It took him a long time to get used to the envy and outright jealousy of his classmates to his smarts. The misunderstanding that made him so alone. They thought _he_ thought he was better than them. When all he truly wanted was to fit in. But fitting in wasn't something Billy was made to do, he was made to stand out and if that was his smarts that did so, then so be it. He'd never downplay his smarts just for a shot at the 'cool crowd'. Besides, some of the coolest people in school; Tommy, Jason, Kimberly, Trini, and Zack were some of his best friends.

Billy smiled at Ms. Appleby as he dropped off his test at her desk. She lifted her gaze from her book, smiled at him, scolded Bulk and Skull, then bid him an enjoyable rest of the day, a sentiment Billy gave back to her. Then he hitched his bag up his shoulder and moved to leave the room, risking a glance at his friends. They'd all studied together the night before; one last cram session that'd at least increase their confidence. If they didn't know the material then, they'd never know it, he surmised. But confidence went a long way.

It was a stark change, honestly. Kimberly, who typically chewed on the erasers of her pencils with her front teeth had her head bent over the desk, scribbling away. Zack, who could never sit still, wiggling around to a beat only he could her was stock still, poised over his test, carefully reading the answers. Jason wasn't looking around the room, Tommy wasn't twirling his ponytail around his finger, and Avalon wasn't staring into space, finding it all a waste of time.

Trini got up from her seat, always the second one to finish, and passed by her friends, flashing them encouraging smiles as she walked by, them looking up at her movement. Avalon smiled back at her then turned her gaze to the front, looking at Billy.

She looked at him then just as quickly looked away. Eyes downcast, her lips tilted into a smile which was, not simply rare for her, but something she didn't quite do when taking tests. She was intelligent, that was for sure, being able to survive on the streets with only her sister as company was no easy feat. Nevertheless, she still smiled at him.

Suddenly, Billy felt more uncomfortable than he'd ever had before. He'd had experience talking to other girls, had a girlfriend in Marge and Melissa where he didn't know what to do. Despite the encouragement from Zack, Trini, and Kimberly, he couldn't bring himself to do much about his interest in them. Somehow, by the grace of God, they'd been interested enough in _him_ to break him from his shell. He couldn't even gather the courage to ask Marge to the dance that night, he remembered. His own nerves got in the way and _she_ ended up asking him.

This was different. Billy suddenly felt hot under the collar, blinked rapidly, shuffled from foot to foot. He hadn't done that in a while, a habit he'd left behind since working on his self-confidence and self-worth. The heat crept form his neck to his cheeks, up to his ears. Who knew it was possible to get so worked up. It must've been what Jason, Tommy, and Zack meant when the guys were alone and discussed everything from girls to what they did _with_ girls. Not that Billy didn't understand their conversations, but it was one thing to understand it in terms of scientific specifics than to exhibit it in person.

Ducking his head, Billy left the classroom with Trini hot on his heels. They walked to their lockers, conversing about the test answers they got right and wrong while waiting for their friends to finish. Billy sat in front of his locker, pulling out the notes he'd written down the night before of a new weapon he wanted to create for the rangers. A signal inhibitor lest they were to be brain washed or hypnotized once more.

One by one their friends trickled out of the classroom with different exclamations about the test. Tommy's bringing a round of laughter when he said, "I was so nervous I almost forgot to write my name."

"That's no surprise," Zack interrupted. "Sometimes I wonder if you recognize your own reflection in a mirror."

"Well, I'm sure you can easily recognize yours, because your head's so big," Trini said, swatting at his arm. She looked up when Avalon finally joined the group, tossing her backpack aside. She settled to the floor next to Billy, her arm brushing his. "How'd it go?"

Again, there was a shot of heat that crept through his neck. It was official, something was wrong with him.

"Pretty good, I reckon," Avalon said. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed. "There were a few I missed but I at least answered everything this time." She poked Billy on the arm with her index finger. "And it's all thanks to you, Smurf."

Billy lifted his fingers from his arm in a gentle motion. "Don't mention it. I'm glad to have helped all of you." He made sure to look at all his friends when he spoke, not wanting to blush again. It was starting to get on his nerves. It didn't work, for Avalon made a face and leaned towards him.

"You alright, mate? You're looking kind of red."

"I'm fine," Billy replied. He looked at his watch. "Actually, I'm going to be late for the science club if I don't get going." He didn't have a meeting for the science club in another twenty minutes. But something was happening to him and he needed to figure out what it was. "I'll see you all later."

He scrambled from the floor, practically tripping over his bag, before he managed to stay steady on his feet, walking away. As he went, Billy clenched his hands into fists.

He'd gotten over his nerdy self, over the anxiety, the nervous swaying, the rapid blinking, the insecurity. Only to find himself unable to stay normal when the orange ranger was around him. Intuitively, he knew exactly what was going on.

It was times like these he wouldn't mind a monster being dropped from the sky and crushing everything in sight. Somehow, working as a ranger was becoming easier than being a regular teen.

Billy risked a glance over his shoulder and found—as usual-Avalon's gaze move his way. She smiled and gave him a parting wave. Billy felt himself smiling back until she turned to address something Kimberly was saying to her. Billy sighed, moving to face forward once more.

A lot easier.


End file.
